Bike Easy (New Orleans, LA)
New Orleans’ bike advocacy organization continued to grow and achieve impressive accomplishments in its third year with a paid staff member. Bike Easy's advocacy resulted in 25 new miles of bikeways, the largest single year expansion of the bike network in the city's history. Advocates organized a bike share demo during the Superbowl, which helped secure commitments for a permanent bike share business plan. The organization also hosted the city’s first Open Streets event, conducted over 30 commuter workshops, and ushered in the city’s first on-street bicycle parking infrastructure.
Nominated by: Dan Jatres and Brighid O’Keane
BikeNet (Billings, MT)
As a bike, walk, and trail advocacy group in Billings, Montana, BikeNet partners with numerous community organizations, public agencies and businesses to work towards connecting the city with trails and bikeways. Advocates have successfully raised local matching dollars for federal-aid projects dollars and have supported numerous local events to raise awareness of the importance of active transportation and active lifestyles. Without the help of BikeNet, Billings’ 36 miles of trails and 20 miles of bike lanes would never have been completed.
Nominated by: Darlene Tussing
BikeSD (San Diego, CA)
This San Diego advocacy organization accumulated an impressive list of accomplishments in 2013. Thanks in part to BikeSD’s work as a 501c4 organization, three out of four mayoral candidates released a bike plan during the race. The new mayor now regularly touts the importance bicycling for the city. The organization initiated and helped with the launch of the city's first open streets event, CicloSDias. BikeSD was instrumental in getting the city to adopt pro-bikeway design guidelines by becoming a member of the National Association of City Transportation Officials. BikeSD also led efforts to receive a unanimous vote from their regional planning agency, SANDAG, in approving $200 million in funding for urban bike projects along key urban corridors.
Nominated by: Brighid O’Keane
Community Cycles (Boulder, CO)
Community Cycles works with the city and county of Boulder as well as many national and local bicycle organizations in the Boulder area. Community Cycles provides free or low cost bicycle options to any and all who express a need. Community Cycles also reaches out to low income and student housing groups to teach bicycle safety. The organization also offers free classes on bike bus commuting, trailer moving and other non automotive means of commuting in Boulder.
Nominated by: Dean Fogerty
Health by Design (Indiana)
As an Indianapolis-based coalition of health, transportation, and community advocates, Health by Design has taken great strides to advance multi-modal transportation in Indiana communities and throughout the state. In 2013, the organization led efforts to organize nine Complete Streets workshops around Indiana and develop a model Complete Streets ordinance — leading to at least four local and regional policy proposals. Health by Design made strides at the Statehouse by coordinating the first annual Transit Day and successfully moving a bill for dedicated transit funding. And at the local level in Indianapolis, advocates organized the city’s first Open Streets initiative and helped create a new Safe Routes to School coordinator position.
Nominated by: Zia Brucaya
Living Streets Alliance (Tucson, AZ)
Tucson, Arizona’s new active transportation advocacy group has seen an extraordinary year of progress. Living Streets Alliance advocates organized and led Car-Lite Living classes and neighborhood walking assessments in addition to spearheading an “I Walk. I Ride. I Vote” campaign. The organization won a remarkable $50 million for walking infrastructure and organized Ciclovia Tucson, the city’s Open Streets initiative, which drew over 25,000 people.
Nominated by: Brighid O’Keane and Corky Poster
MassBike (Massachusetts)
In 2013, Massachusetts’ statewide bike advocacy organization launched the Bikeable Communities Program, which leverages modest state and federal funding to support local advocates in dozens of communities around the state. In 2013, MassBike has undertaken bikeability assessments with local advocates, trained local advocates on effective advocacy and storytelling and provided planning assistance to local advocates and city staff. Thanks in part to this successful program, MassBike was able to add two staff positions and increase the programs budget 10-fold in 2013.
Nominated by: Price Armstrong, Brighid O’Keane, and David Watson
Washington Bikes (Washington state)
In Washington state, Washington Bikes (formerly the Bicycle Alliance of Washington) connects to a wide spectrum of people from the grassroots advocate to the Governor. They are accessible, participate in community forums, provide educational and leadership education to cyclists and advocates. The organization provides an engaging blog and online and physical store. Basically, Washington Bikes is the entire package, being fun and educational for cyclists, advocated, policymakers, and more.
Nominated by: Jaime Brush
WE Bike NYC (New York, NY)
The WE in WE Bike NYC stands for Women’s Empowerment, and this organization’s growth over the past year has been a testament to interest in bicycling beyond traditional advocates. With an almost entirely volunteer staff, WE Bike NYC runs three distinct programs: WE Ride, women’s tours and social rides through the 5 boroughs; Moms on Wheels, education to help moms feel comfortable on the road; and Mujeres en Movimiento, an adult earn-a-bike program focused with low-income Spanish speaking women in Queens.
Nominated by: Casey Ashenhurst and Liz Jose
